Art exhibition: ArtHerbaario – Särmähorsma ja noin sata muuta kasvia in Pegasus Library 1.–31.3.2023
ArtHerbaario by Studio Taaja, i.e. architect Jaana Tiikkaja (b. 1979) and interior architect Tanja Väyrynen (b. 1973) from Oulu, is a series of graphic art works that originated from the collection of plants for monotypes made with the gelli plate technique in spring 2022. The library's exhibition features around thirty graphic works from a series of one hundred works.
While collecting plants, the artists found that they were learning about plants and finding plants that had been visible but that they had not noticed. The idea of collecting a herbarium was born. As the collection progressed, the nearby nature, gardens and parks in the city expanded to include forest plants, field plants and coastal plants. The form and structure of the plants and their combinations with colors inspired the artists. In the Finnish summer, the development and flowering of plants has a precise order, which influenced the choice of plants and also the colors. The colors sometimes also reflected the growth environment and the nature of the plant, even the prevailing weather conditions. The artists found a lot of new, unusual and even funny plant names in addition to the familiar ones, such as Särmähorsma, Rohtonukula, Nystysilmäruoho, Merirannikki, Hierakka, Lutukka, Nenätti, Rantarölli... The herbarium consisting of monotypes is artistic, not scientific. The artists have retained the artistic freedom to depict plants using artistic methods; the works show the author's handprint and emotions.
Studio Taaja, an art studio at Kulttuurikasarmi K2 in Hiukkavaara, started in the fall of 2021 with the idea of two friends from Oulu to find a space where they could implement endless art ideas and expand the experience of art from the accustomed, familiar way of doing things. The artist duo says that they gather ideas for their work from their day job related to the built environment, trends in architecture and interior design, the world situation, megatrends, dreams, music, poems, nature – almost anything.
STUDIO TAAJA / Jaana Tiikkaja & Tanja Väyrynen: ArtHerbaario – Särmähorsma ja noin sata muuta kasvia
Pegasus Library, Maisemasali (3rd floor) 1.–31.3.2023
The exhibition is open during the library's opening hours, welcome!